©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Croatia Zagreb p64 #_ Inland Croatia p98 Kvarner Istria p169 p125 Northern Dalmatia p206 Split & Central Dalmatia p237 Dubrovnik & Southern Dalmatia p289 Peter Dragicevich, Anthony Ham, Jessica Lee PLAN YOUR TRIP ON THE ROAD Welcome to Croatia . 4 ZAGREB . 64 Buzet . 153 Croatia Map . .. 6 Sights . 65 Roč . 156 Hum . 156 Croatia’s Top 17 . 8 Tours . 79 Pazin . 157 Need to Know . 16 Festivals & Events . 81 Sleeping . 83 Svetvinčenat . 159 What’s New . 18 Eating . 85 Labin & Rabac . 160 If You Like . 19 Drinking & Nightlife . 87 Month by Month . 22 Entertainment . 92 KVARNER . 169 Itineraries . 26 Shopping . 93 Rijeka . 171 Outdoor Activities . 36 Around Rijeka . 176 Croatia’s Islands . 44 INLAND CROATIA . 98 Risnjak National Park . 176 Volosko . 177 Travel with Children . 52 Around Zagreb . 99 Samobor . 99 Opatija . 178 Eat & Drink Like a Local . 55 Mt Medvednica . 102 Učka Nature Park . .. 180 Lošinj & Cres Islands . .. 181 Regions at a Glance . 60 Zagorje . 103 Klanjec . 104 Beli . 182 Krapinske Toplice . 104 Cres Town . 183 IASCIC/SHUTTERSTOCK © IASCIC/SHUTTERSTOCK Krapina . 105 Valun . 185 Varaždin . 107 Lubenice . 186 Međimurje . 111 Osor . 186 Slavonia . 112 Nerezine . 187 Ðakovo . 113 Mali Lošinj . 187 Osijek . 114 Veli Lošinj . 190 Baranja . 119 Krk Island . 192 Vukovar . 121 Malinska . 192 Ilok . 123 Krk Town . 193 Punat . 195 KOPAČKI RIT NATURE PARK P119 ISTRIA . 125 Vrbnik . 195 Baška . 196 Istria’s West Coast . 127 East Kvarner Coast . 198 Pula . 127 JUSTIN FOULKES/LONELY PLANET © PLANET FOULKES/LONELY JUSTIN Crikvenica . 198 Brijuni Islands . 134 Senj . 199 Vodnjan . 135 Rab Island . 200 Bale . 136 Rab Town . 200 Rovinj . 137 Lopar . 205 Poreč . 143 Umag . 148 Central & NORTHERN Eastern Istria . 150 DALMATIA . 206 Momjan . 150 Lika . 208 VELIKI TABOR CASTLE P106 Grožnjan . 151 Plitvice Lakes & Motovun . 152 Around . 208 Contents UNDERSTAND Trogir . 259 Croatia Today . 332 JUSTIN FOULKES/LONELY PLANET © PLANET FOULKES/LONELY JUSTIN Šolta Island . 264 History . 334 Stobreč & Podstrana . 265 The Croatian Omiš . 265 Mindset . 348 Makarska Riviera . 266 Architecture . 352 Brela . 266 Makarska . 267 The Natural Environment . 354 Biokovo Nature Park . 269 Brač Island . 269 The Arts . 357 Supetar . 271 Bol . 273 SEAFOOD LUNCH, VALUN P185 Hvar Island . 275 Hvar Town . 276 Gospić . 210 Pakleni Islands . 282 Paklenica Stari Grad . 283 National Park . 211 Jelsa . 284 SURVIVAL Pag Island . 213 Vis Island . 285 GUIDE Pag Town . 216 Vis Town . .. 286 Zrće Beach . 217 Komiža . 288 Directory A–Z . 362 Novalja . 218 Transport . 367 Nin . 219 DUBROVNIK & Language . 371 Zadar . 220 SOUTHERN Dugi Otok . 227 DALMATIA . 289 Index . 379 Veli Rat & Punta Bjanca . .. 227 Dubrovnik . 291 Map Legend . 383 Božava . 228 Around Dubrovnik . 314 Sali . 228 Cavtat . 314 Telašćica Bay . 229 Konavle . 317 Elafiti Islands . 317 Šibenik-Knin Region . 229 Mljet Island . 318 Tisno & Murter Island . 229 Mljet National Park . 320 Krka National Park . 230 Okuklje . 320 SPECIAL Šibenik . 232 Saplunara . 321 FEATURES Primošten . 236 Pelješac Peninsula . 321 Croatia’s Islands . 44 Rogoznica . 236 Ston & Mali Ston . 321 Lazy Days in Zagreb . 76 Orebić . .. 323 Croatia’s Coast . 163 SPLIT & CENTRAL Korčula Island . 324 Lazy Days in Split . 252 DALMATIA . 237 Korčula Town . .. 325 Lumbarda . 329 Lazy Days in Split . 240 Dubrovnik . 312 Around Split . 258 Vela Luka . 330 Kaštela . 258 Lastovo Island . 330 Dubrovnik’s Old Town . 306 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 26 ANDREY OMELYANCHUK/500PX © OMELYANCHUK/500PX ANDREY Plan Your Trip Itineraries Trogir •# •# Split É BOSNIA & Brač HERCEGOVINA É •# Bol É •# Hvar Town Hvar É •# Korčula Town Korčula É Dubrovnik •# A D R I AT I C S E A 1 WEEK Essential Croatia night or continue on to Croatia’s exuber- This itinerary focuses on the essential ant second city Split. Diocletian’s Palace Croatian experience – a sunny island- is a living part of this seafront city, a hopping trip along the Dalmatian coast throbbing ancient quarter that’s home to stopping at three World Heritage Sites 220 historic buildings and about 3000 along the way. Conveniently, it has an people. Base yourself here for a day or international airport at each end. We’ve two of sightseeing and nightlife. envisaged it as a journey that can be Hop on a fast catamaran to Bol on the made predominantly by ferry. island of Brač (or alternatively a car ferry to Supetar and then a bus). This pretty Start with a stroll through the marbled little port is most famous for Zlatni Rat streets of the postcard-perfect walled beach – a glorious spur of pebbles that town of Trogir. Either relax here for a extends 500m into the Adriatic. 27 PLAN YOUR TRIP IT I NERAR I ES Peristil (p240), Diocletian’s Palace, Split Next, catch the catamaran to historic catamarans from here to Dubrovnik, oth- Hvar Town, the vibrant capital of the erwise you’ll need to catch the car ferry island of the same name. This picturesque to Orebić on the Pelješac Peninsula and place offers an intriguing mix of European continue by bus. glamour and a raucous bar scene. Your first sight of the magnificent old From Hvar Town there are year-round town of Dubrovnik, ringed by mighty connections to Korčula Town – a highly defensive walls and the sparkling blue photogenic walled town jutting out into Adriatic, is bound to blow you away. the Adriatic on its own little peninsula. Spend the next two days taking in its From May to mid-October, there are sights. 32 PLAN YOUR TRIP IT I NERAR I ES SLOVENIA Volosko Opatija •# •# •# Rijeka CROATIA É Cres •# É Plitvice Lakes •# BOSNIA & National Park HERCEGOVINA É É •# Rab É •#Lošinj É A D R I A T I C Paklenica S E A National Park •# Zadar É É •# 33 XBRCHX/SHUTTERSTOCK © XBRCHX/SHUTTERSTOCK 10 Kvarner & Northern DAYS Dalmatia Take in the delights of Croatia’s northern PLAN YOUR TRIP coastal stretches and their wild hinterland, starting with the Kvarner Gulf and moving south to northern Dalmatia with its wide spectrum of appealing sights. Start in the capital of the Kvarner, Rijeka, Croatia’s third-largest city and a thriving port IT with a laid-back vibe and a lively cafe scene. I Take a day to explore this undervisited city and NERAR another to visit the elegant seaside resort town of Opatija. Its beautiful belle époque villas date I from the dying days of the Austro-Hungarian ES Empire, when the town was the stomping ground of the Viennese elite. While you’re at it, take time to stroll Lungomare, a picturesque path that winds along the coast through exotic bushes and thickets of bamboo to Volosko, a pretty fishing village that’s become one of Croatia’s gastronomic destinations; make sure you have lunch or dinner in one of its acclaimed restaurants. Next, hop over to one of the Kvarner islands for two days – the interconnected Cres and Lošinj are the most offbeat. Wilder, greener Cres has remote campgrounds, pristine beaches, a handful of medieval villages and an off-the- radar feel. More populated and touristy Lošinj PETR NOVACEK/SHUTTERSTOCK © PETR NOVACEK/SHUTTERSTOCK sports a pair of pretty port towns, a string of beautiful bays, and lush and varied vegetation throughout, with 1100 plant species and 230 medicinal herbs, many brought from faraway lands by sea captains. Spend another two days chilling on Rab, lounging on the sandy beaches of Lopar Peninsula and exploring the postcard- pretty Rab Town with its ancient stone alleys and the four bell towers that rise from them. Back on the mainland, if you’re feeling ad- venturous, don’t miss a hike through the alpine trails and canyons of Paklenica National Park. Next head down to Zadar for an amble through this vibrant coastal city with its medley of Roman ruins, Habsburg architecture and a lovely seafront; stick around for two days to take it all in. Head back inland to spend a day exploring the dazzling natural wonderland of Plitvice Lakes National Park, with its gor- geous turquoise lakes linked by a series of wa- terfalls and cascades. Top: Rijeka (p171) Bottom: Paklenica National Park (p211) 34 Off the Beaten Track ' c c HUM PLEŠIVICA WINE ROAD Istria has many gorgeous walled Tour past wee red-roofed villages, PLAN YOUR TRIP hilltop towns, but what’s particularly stopping at family-run wineries along V charming about Hum is its tiny size the way. This route is located in the Krapina•# (basically one street) and countryside west of Zagreb, 20km •# tucked-away location. (p156) LsouthJUBL ofJA theNA town#_ of Samobor. Krapinske (p102) Toplice Medvednica ITALY Nature Park SLOVENIA Samobor •# #_ ZAGREB OFF THE BEATEN TRACK BEATEN THE OFF Golfo di •#Trieste Trieste upa •#K Umag •# Karlovac Opatija Rijeka Hum •# •# •# Poreč•# •#Pazin KVARNER ISTRIA Krk •# Rovinj •# Labin Krk Town •# •#Senj Cres •# Brijuni Plitvice Lakes Islands •# Pula Cres Otočac •# National Park Rab •# Cape Kamenjak Rab Town Lun•# Unije Lošinj Pag •#Novalja Mali Lošinj •# Pag Town STARA BAŠKA •# Silba Paklenica Olib National It’s nice to know that even the busy Park island of Krk has quieter coves, such Molat as this pebble-and-sand stretch •# Zadar accessed from a minor road heading Ugljan DALMATIA Iž south from Punat. (p195) Dugi Otok Pašman Vransko •# Lake Sali Šibenik Kornat •# OLIVE GARDENS OF LUNAncona Kornati •# National Zirje With a name worthy of a fantasy Park •# Primošten novel, this area near the northern tip of the island of Pag has marked walking trails through the groves and signs pointing out significantly venerable trees. (p219) Adriatic Sea VRANSKO LAKE SILBA ISLAND NATURE PARK An obscure choice among the Although it’s Croatia’s largest natural multitude of Adriatic islands, Silba lake, Vransko Jezero doesn’t register nonetheless has ferry services, on many travellers’ radars – unless beaches and a legendary tower.